What the heck is a Texan doing 1100 miles from home knocking on doors in Port Clinton, Ohio? My answer, “Doing my part” I have sent what money I could, I have called from my home, but for me it is not really a campaign unless I have engaged voters in their natural habitat. So we called up the relatives in Ohio and hit the road.
Monday was spent visiting with my husband’s relatives in the Mansfield area and thank goodness the majority of them were Obama supporters. Hopefully we swayed the others. He had said on the way to Ohio, ‘let’s not talk politics when we meet my aunts and cousins.” I said hmmm which I think he took as an ‘okay I won’t.’ I checked in with the Mansfield OFA office and intended to go back there the next day and volunteer for a couple of days, but our plans changed and we needed to move on to Port Clinton and another Aunt.
Today was overcast and the drive not very uplifting as we saw more Romney signs than Obama signs on our drive north. However as we arrived in Ottawa County there appeared to be an Obama rebound and we were only down a couple as we pulled into Port Clinton. After visiting with the Aunt and her husband, yes, they are Obama supporters. I went and located the Obama campaign office here in Port Clinton.
As luck would have it a couple of young people were just about to head out with their canvassing sheets when I arrived. I love going door to door, canvassing they call it now days. So I went along. Nice people, I think they were afraid they were going to have to hold my hand. As we drove to the street we would be walking, I explained to them I have been knocking on doors, canvasing voters since 1968 when I was 10 years old.
I love it. I am energized. We only had a short list and spent only about an hour and half out, but my Obama supporters outnumbered my non and I visited and talked with some alleged undecideds. The young man who asked me the question above about why I was doing what I was doing alleged he was undecided. After I explained to him that I came up to Ohio because I am convinced that this election is close and that Ohio is an important swing state and that I couldn’t live with myself if I hadn’t done all I could to reelect the President. He asked me if I was for nationalized healthcare. I explained to him that Obamacare was the main reason I support the President. During the Bush years my little county in East Texas lost 2000 jobs, Three of my close friends lost their health insurance when their husbands lost their jobs. Two have major preexisting conditions and after their COBRA ran out were uninsurable. I can’t stand the thought that in this country a person can die because they can’t afford health care and can’t get health insurance. I followed that up with my concern for our veterans and the fact Romney doesn’t seem to think they are important. It seemed to strike a chord.
I am going back tomorrow, phone calls and more canvassing. Just trying to do my part.